U.S. patent number 4,046,273 [Application Number 05/632,285] was granted by the patent office on 1977-09-06 for canoe loading apparatus.
Invention is credited to Douglas W. Hughes.
United States Patent |
4,046,273 |
Hughes |
September 6, 1977 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Canoe loading apparatus
Abstract
An apparatus to provide assistance in the loading and supporting
of canoe or similar structure on the top of a vehicle such as an
automobile for transport thereof. The loading apparatus has a frame
attachable to the rear of the vehicle. A forked carrier member is
assembled to the frame for rotatable movement about a vertical axis
and for vertical movement between a lower, loading position and an
elevated transport position. A handle is provided to facilitate
lifting of a canoe end portion to the carrier member. A purpose of
the apparatus is to allow loading and unloading of a canoe by a
single person. Means are provided on the frame for carrying one or
more bicycles as well.
Inventors: |
Hughes; Douglas W. (Kenyon,
MN) |
Family
ID: |
24534888 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/632,285 |
Filed: |
November 17, 1975 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
414/462; 294/15;
294/137; 224/324; 224/492; 224/509; 224/534; 224/523; 224/515 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60P
3/1008 (20130101); B60R 9/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60R
9/10 (20060101); B60R 9/00 (20060101); B60P
3/10 (20060101); B60P 3/06 (20060101); B60R
009/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;214/450
;224/42.3B,42.3R,29R,42.1H,42.43,42.44,42.45,45M,45T |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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93,243 |
|
Nov 1938 |
|
SW |
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120,960 |
|
Jun 1927 |
|
CH |
|
Other References
Lug-A-Bike, All American Products, Inc. (Advertisement) received
8/15/1972..
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Primary Examiner: Spar; Robert J.
Assistant Examiner: Weaver; Ross
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Burd, Braddock & Bartz
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. An apparatus to assist in loading and at least partially
supporting a canoe for transport on an automotive type vehicle,
including:
a generally upright frame having a pair of horizontal, spaced apart
side bars, a top cross bar disposed between and connected to the
upper ends of the side bars, and an intermediate cross bar disposed
between and connected at an intermediate location on said side
bars;
adustable clamp means on the frame to secure the frame to a bumper
of an automotive type vehicle, said clamp means including first and
second clamp assemblies, one of said clamp assemblies disposed at
the lower end of each of said side bars of the frame, each said
clamp assembly including upper and lower clips having reverse turn
lips adapted to engage upper and lower edges of the bumper of an
automotive type vehicle, bolt means assembling the clips to the
side bars of the frame, each side bar being provided with a
plurality of vertically aligned holes to accommodate the bolt means
and permit adjustment of the location of the first and second clips
of each clamp assembly;
a hollow tubular member vertically mounted on said frame being
connected to said top cross bar and said intermediate cross bar at
a location approximately midway between the side bars;
a carrier member for supporting an end section of a canoe, said
carrier member having a normally vertical shaft with a lower end in
telescopic engagement with said tubular member, said shaft end
being axially rotatable in said tubular member and vertically
movable therein;
said carrier member having a fork portion for engagement of a canoe
end section, said fork portion including a horizontal cross piece
secured to the upper end of said shaft to engage and support a
canoe gunnel, and a pair of parallel spaced apart arms extending
generally upward from either end of said cross piece, said arms
being disposed at an inclination relative to said vertical shaft
and spaced apart a sufficient distance to intercept and accommodate
diverging side walls of an end section of a canoe to snugly engage
said side walls with the canoe gunnel resting on said cross
piece;
each of said arms and said cross piece of the carrier member being
approximately the same length;
said shaft being vertically movable in said hollow tubular member
to move said fork portion of the carrier member between a first,
lower canoe loading position and a second, elevated canoe transport
position;
releasable lock means to lock the carrier member in the elevated
transport position, said lock means including a locking pin, a
plurality of vertically spaced openings in the tubular member, said
locking pin selectively engageable in one of said openings to
support the end of said shaft with the carrier member in the
elevated position, and removable from said opening to permit
movement of the carrier member to the lower position;
a pair of horizontally aligned bicycle tongs for transport of at
least one bicycle, one of said tongs being assembled to the lower
portion of each of said side bars, said bicycle tongs having
aligned, upwardly open loops for receipt of the cross bar of at
least one inverted bicycle to locate the bicycle sufficiently below
the forked member of the carrier to avoid interference with a canoe
loaded thereon; and
a canoe loading handle usable by a canoeist to load an end section
of a canoe in the fork of said carrier member when the carrier
member is in the lower position, said handle having a curved body
portion generally contoured to substantially conform to the side
walls of a canoe, a hook portion at the lower end of the body
portion for engagement of the gunnel of a canoe, and a grip member
at the upper end of the body portion for gripping and lifting by a
canoeist to lift said canoe end section and position it in
engagement with the fork portion of the carrier member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Canoes have long been popular watercraft due, among other factors,
to their light weight, portability, and ease of handling. A canoe
typically has capacity for several individuals or a substantial
amount of gear and equipment, yet is glides easily and efficiently
through the water. As a sport, canoeing has gained in popularity,
and enthusiasts commonly transport their canoes from their homes to
a distant location, as a lake or a river, to enjoy the sport.
Probably the most common method of transport of the canoe is to
carry it mounted on the rooftop of a vehicle, typically an
automobile. Various prior art devices are devised to provide
assistance in loading and transporting a conventional boat on the
roof of an automobile, for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 2,785,816
issued Mar. 19, 1957, to Fisher. Even though a canoe is relatively
light, difficulty may be encountered in loading it on top of the
car, yet those devices of the prior art are not specifically
tailored to this type of watercraft.
Bicycling is also a popular pastime and sport, and enthusiasts are
apt to want to indulge in both canoeing and bicycling during the
same outing. Yet, boat loaders and carriers of the prior art
typically do not provide for carrying one or more bicycles on the
automobile at the same time that a boat is being transported.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a loading apparatus mountable on a
vehicle, and particularly an automobile, to assist in loading a
canoe or like structure on the roof of the vehicle and secure it
for transport with the vehicle. A frame is mountable on the
vehicle, preferably at the rear thereof and on a rear bumper. A
carrier member is movably assembled to the frame, engageable with
an end portion of a canoe. The carrier member is rotatable about a
generally vertical axis to permit movement of the canoe to and from
a position mounted over the roof of the vehicle. The carrier member
is also vertically movable relative to the frame from a lower
position for loading of the canoe, and an elevated position for
carrying part of the canoe during transport. A shaft of the carrier
member is telescopically engageable with part of the frame and a
forked portion is engageable with the end of the canoe. The forked
portion includes a pair of parallel, spaced apart arms angularly
orientated or pitched relative to the shaft and spaced apart a
sufficient distance to straddle and engage the sides of a canoe on
a divergent section thereof.
In one form of the invention a handle is provided for engagement of
the canoe to assist in raising an end of the canoe and inserting it
in the carrier when the carrier is in the relatively lower
position. Also in one form of the invention there is provided a
pair of bicycle tongs upon which one or more bicycles can be
mounted for transport of the bicycles with or without a canoe
loaded on the apparatus.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a canoe loader of the present
installed on a partially shown vehicle and having a canoe in the
process of being loaded thereon;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the canoe loader of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the canoe loader of FIG. 1
installed on an automobile and having a canoe loaded thereon ready
for transport;
FIG. 4 is a rear plan view of the canoe loader, automobile and
canoe of FIG. 3 and showing a bicycle mounted thereon also; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the canoe loading handle according
to one form of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a canoe
loader according to the present invention indicated generally at
10, mounted on the rear bumper 11 of a conventional automobile 12.
Canoe loader 10 is mountable on many different types of vehicles
and includes a generally square frame 14 with a forked carrier
member 15 movably assembled thereto. Frame 14 includes a pair of
parallel, upright side bars 16, 17 connected at their upper ends by
an upper cross bar 19 and intermediately by cross bar 20.
Conventional nut and bolt assemblies 21-24 securely connect the
respective side bars and cross bars.
Clamp assemblies 26, 27 clamp the lower ends of side bars 16, 17
respectively to the bumper 11 to secure frame 14 to automobile 12.
Clamp assemblies 26, 27 are identical, the clamp assembly 26
including symmetrical, upper and lower clips 28, 29 having reverse
turned lips 30, 31 adapted to engage upper and lower edges
respectively of bumper 11. Bolts 33 pass through vertical flange
portions 34 on clips 28, 29, thence through holes 35 on side bar
16. Side bar 16 is provided with a plurality of vertically aligned
holes 35 whereby clamp assembly 26 will accommodate bumpers of
varying sizes. Wing nuts 36 are releasably threaded on the ends of
bolts 33 to complete the clamp assembly. Other forms of clamp
assemblies can be used.
An upright, hollow tubular member or standard 37 is mounted to
frame 14 for receipt of carrier member 15. Standard 37 is
vertically mounted midway between side bars 16, 17 on cross bars
19, 20. A bolt assembly 38 securely fastens the lower portion of
standard 37 to intermediate cross bar 20, and a suitable U-bolt 39
fastens the top end of standard 37 to upper cross bar 19. The bolt
assembly 38 is engageable with any one of a plurality of vertically
aligned holes in the bottom of the standard 37 for adjustment
thereof for use on different vehicles.
Forked carrier member 15 has a vertical shaft 40 for telescopic
engagement with standard 37. At the top of shaft 40 is a fork
formed of horizontal, supporting cross piece 42 and parallel,
spaced apart arms 43, 44 extending from the outer ends of cross
piece 42. Arms 43, 44 extend generally upward but at an inclination
relative to shaft 40. The ends of arms 43, 44 can have resilient,
protective covers 45, 46. Arms 43, 44 are approximately the same
length as cross piece 42. A canoe is characterized by curved side
walls which converge from the midportion of the boat to a
relatively pointed end. Arms 43, 44 are spaced apart sufficiently
to receive a canoe at a section of the converging side walls with
the canoe gunnel resting on cross piece 42. Arms 43, 44 are
inclined or pitched with respect to the vertical for interception
with the converging canoe side walls along a section of relatively
flat profile.
A locking pin 48 conveniently fastened to standard 37 by a chain 49
is selectively engageable in one of a plurality of suitable holes
50 passing diammetrically through standard 37. When in engagement
with one of the holes 50, locking pin 48 provides a stop for the
lower end of shaft 40 of carrier member 15, thus holding it in a
relatively elevated position for transport of a loaded canoe.
Disengagement of locking pin 48 permits lowering of the carrier
member 15 to a relatively lower position for loading and unloading
a canoe. A clip 51 is engageable with the end of locking pin 48 to
hold it in place.
A second locking pin 55 is engageable with aligned holes 59 in
standard 37 and 59A in shaft 40 when carrier member 15 is in the
lower position. Second locking pin 55 prevents rotation of carrier
member 15 when a canoe is being loaded thereon, and can be stored
in a suitable opening in cross bar 19 when not in use.
A pair of bicycle tongs 52, 53 are provided for transport of one or
more bicycles. The bicycle tongs 52, 53 are assembled to the lower
ends of side bars 16, 17 as by having threaded ends 54 passing
through one of the holes 35 in the side bars and being secured
thereon by suitable nuts. The bicycle tongs 52, 53 are in
horizontal alignment and have pairs of aligned, U-shaped upwardly
open loops 56 for accommodating the cross bar of an inverted
bicycle. Links 57 are assembled to intermediate cross bar 20 at the
nut and bolt assemblies 21, 24 for accommodating suitable straps
holding the bicycles in place. A bumper 58 is located on top cross
bar 19 for cushioning a bicycle portion.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, a handle 60 is usable in association
with canoe loader 10 in loading the canoe. Handle 60 has a curved
elongate body portion 61 contoured to substantially conform to the
curvature of a typical canoe. A hook 62 is located at one end of
body 61 and is inwardly turned having an upwardly extended lip 63
for engagement of the gunnel of a canoe as shown in FIG. 1. A grip
64 is located at the top end of the handle 60 and extends in a
direction perpendicular to that of hook 62 or in the direction
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the canoe when in use as shown
in FIG. 1.
Shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a roof rack 66 is used in association with
canoe loader 10. Roof rack 66 is mountable on the roof of
automobile 12 and has a transverse beam 67 for supporting the
gunnels of a canoe. Brackets 68 at either end of beam 67 engage the
rain gutters or other portions of automobile 12 to hold roof rack
66 in place. A strap 69 is provided for extension over the canoe to
be fastened at either end of beam 67 to hold the canoe in
place.
In use, referring to FIG. 1, carrier member 15 is in the lower
position preparatory to loading a canoe 71, locking pin 48 having
been removed from standard 37. To prevent carrier 15 from rotating
while being approached with the canoe, second locking pin 55 is
inserted through the holes 59 and 59A of standard 37 and shaft 40.
The arms 43, 44 of carrier member 15 are inclined forwardly toward
the front of automobile 12. A person 70 lifts the inverted end 72
of the canoe 71 and places it in engagement with the fork formed by
the arms 43, 44. The canoe is placed in the fork of a carrier 15 to
a longitudinal location on the canoe where the width of the canoe
fills the expanse between arms 43, 44 and further longitudinal
movement is prohibited by the diverging side walls of the canoe.
The canoe is snugly nested in the fork of carrier member 15. The
arms 43, 44 are inclined to a position such that they lie
relatively flat across the surface of the side walls of the canoe.
The canoe gunnel rests on cross piece 42. The operation of lifting
the canoe to position relative to carrier 15 is facilitated by
handle 60 to and extent where it is accomplished by one person.
Person 70 stands on one side of the canoe 71 and, using handle 60,
reaches over to the other side to engage the gunnel of the canoe
with the hook 62. Lifting the grip 64 on one side and manually
lifting the gunnel of the canoe on the other side, the person 70 is
able to easily position the end of the now top heavy, inverted
canoe on carrier 15. Second locking pin 55 is now removed from the
holes 59 and 59A.
Carrier member 15 is elevated and locked in the elevated position
by inserting locking pin 48 in the closest adjacent, lower hole 50
to support the shaft 40 in the elevated position. Having
accomplished this, person 70 walks to the other end of the canoe
and lifts it, which is relatively easy as much of the canoe weight
is supported on canoe loader 10. Person 70 then walks around to the
front of automobile 12 with the opposite end of the canoe. Carrier
member 15 swivels in frame 14. The canoe is positioned on roof rack
66 as shown in FIG. 3 with the canoe gunnel supported on beam 67.
Carrier member 15 of canoe loader 10 is elevated in standard 37 to
a position where the longitudinal axis of canoe 71 is substantially
level. Strap 69 of rooftop carrier 66 is placed over the canoe 71
to secure it. Additional straps 73, shown in FIG. 3, can be used to
secure the end of the canoe to the canoe loader 10 as by extending
from the end of the canoe to the links 57 assembled to intermediate
cross bar 20. Canoe 71 is quickly and securely loaded on automobile
12 and ready for transport. The reverse procedure is followed in
unloading the canoe.
The fork of carrier member 15 prevents rolling and shifting of the
canoe while loading or during transport. The canoe loader carries
much of the weight of the canoe thus to relieve this burden from
the car roof or rain gutters. Once mounted, the canoe will not
shift or tip in strong winds due to support provided by canoe
loader 10, nor will the canoe be catapulted from its position due
to rapid acceleration or deceleration.
Canoe loader 10 with a canoe loaded thereon does not impair the
visibility of the driver of vehicle 12. The canoe is positioned
toward the rear of the vehicle and there are no tie down ropes or
straps extending over the front windshield to the front of the
vehicle. Elimination of such tie down ropes eliminates possible
rope burn to the vehicle finish and permits full access to the
front or engine compartment of the vehicle. When unloaded, canoe
loader 10 does not obstruct trunk lid operation and even when
loaded permits adequate access to the trunk compartment.
As shown in FIG. 4, one or two bicycles can be loaded on canoe
loader 10 with or without a canoe loaded thereon. In inverted
position, the cross bars of the bicycles are placed in the U-shaped
loops 56 of the bicycle tongs 52, 53 as the bicycle 74 in FIG. 4.
Suitable straps are employed to secure the bicycles in place. When
loaded in such upside down orientation, the majority of the bicycle
is located behind the lower rear body structure of automobile 12
whereby wind resistance is reduced, rear vision is not obstructed,
and damage to the vehicle from the bicycle pedals is avoided. When
not carrying a bicycle, tongs 52, 53 can carry other items such as
a tent, tent frame, luggage, oars or the like.
Canoe loader 10 is usable also for hauling or transporting other
items otherwise difficult to transport such as an elongate ladder,
pieces of lumber, a rool of carpet or the like. Loading, unloading
and transport of such items are facilitated by the canoe
loader.
While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of
the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
certain deviations and modifications can be made to the embodiment
shown without departing from the scope and spirit of the
invention.
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